The Bonduel High School boys cross-country team finished one point away from a WIAA Division 3 sectional championship Saturday, instead finishing third and qualifying only one runner for the state meet—senior Sam Falck.
“We had four seniors on the team this year, and it’s my last year coaching,” Bonduel coach Jim Watry said. “We kind of hoped to end on a real high note. Things happen. They have nothing to hang their heads about.”
Running at Standing Rocks Park in Stevens Point, Bonduel finished with a team score of 89, behind sectional champion Rosholt (88) and tied with Wisconsin Rapids Assumption (89).
Bonduel lost out on second place to Assumption based on the sixth runner tiebreaker. Assumption’s Nick Carolfi finished 40th; Bonduel’s John Shest finished 43rd.
“It’s as close as it can get,” Watry said. “Had we passed one more person, we would have tied with Rosholt for first, and if the tie-breaker rules were applied, we’d be sectional champions. Instead we have to go home.”
Had Bonduel tied with Rosholt, the Bears would have taken the championship because Rosholt had no sixth runner.
“It’s tough,” Watry said. “It’s tough on the kids. We had a couple of guys a little bit off today, and we still almost got in.”
Falck, who was on the Bears’ state-qualifying teams the last two years, will make his third trip to state after getting an individual qualifying spot with a third-place finish.
Falck finished 21st at state last year.
“Based on how he’s run this year, I think he’s got a shot at being top 15 this year,” Watry said. “We’ll just have to see. Every day is an adventure in cross-country.”
The BHS girls finished fifth, led by Anna Palmer’s 20th-place finish.
“Our girls team ran pretty well,” Watry said. “We got fifth. We thought we’d get sixth coming in. We had a couple of people there run a little off, too.”
The girls team only loses one senior, Aneta Rohloff.
Marion will be represented at the state meet Saturday by Delaney Greene-Gretzinger, who finished second in 19:18.
The state meet will be held at Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
WIAA Division 3 Results
Amherst Sectional
Boys
Team Scoring: 1. Rosholt 88, 2. Wisconsin Rapids Assumption 89, 3. Bonduel 89, 4. Lourdes Academy 111, 5. Green Lake/Princeton 140, 6. Amherst 160, 7. St. Mary Central 186, 8. Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran 189, 9. Oconto 196, 10. Valley Christian 208, 11. Iola-Scandinavia 290, 12. Stevens Point Pacelli 315, 13. Coleman 318
Bonduel: 3. Sam Falck, 17:32; 13. Travis Wollenberg, 18:31; 15. Austin Marcks, 18:46; 26. Austin Kurey, 19:16; 32. Josh Schill, 19:29; 43. John Shest, 19:48
Girls
Team Scoring: 1. Lourdes Academy 31, 2. Rosholt 83, 3. Amherst 99, 4. Iola-Scandinavia 119, 5. Bonduel 123, 6. Stevens Point Pacelli 152, 7. Marion, 8. St. Mary Central 180, 9. Manawa 257, 10. Valley Christian 264
Bonduel: 20. Anna Palmer, 21:59; 23. Ashlyn Schnell, 22:20; 28. Abigail Palmer, 23:13; 29. Laney Richmond, 23:14; 36. Aneta Rohloff, 24:13
Marion: 2. Delaney Greene-Gretzinger, 19:18; 25. Hannah Greene-Gretzinger, 22:48; 30. Paige Polzin, 23:37
Athens Sectional
Boys
Team Scoring: 1. Marathon 42, 2. Columbus Catholic 87, 3. Stratford 107, 4. Prentice/Rib Lake 128, 5. Phillips 150, 6. Wabeno/Laona 179, 7. Athens 200, 8. Crandon 226, 9. Neillsville 231, 10. Edgar 259, 11. Pittsville 287, 12. Auburndale 296, 13. Spencer 300, 14. Florence 351, 15. Phelps 364
Menominee Indian: 80. Austin Bubholtz, 21:17; 94. Dante Kaquatosh, 22:15
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